Student Guidelines for the Use of IT Resources

Glendale College maintains an extensive array of information technology resources in support of its educational mission. These resources are extremely valuable and provide access to sensitive data and to extensive external networks. Consequently, it is important for all users to behave in a responsible, ethical and legal manner, and to respect the rights of other computer users, the integrity of the physical facilities, and all pertinent license and contractual agreements. Here are some specific guidelines for the use of College computing resources.[1]

1. Access. Use only the computers, computer accounts and computer files for which you have authorization. Respect the privacy and personal rights of others. Do not access or copy another user's electronic mail, data, programs, or other files without permission. Do not use another individual's account, or attempt to capture or guess other users' passwords. Users are individually responsible for all use of resources assigned to them; therefore, sharing of accounts is prohibited. Do not attempt to break into computers or sections of the network which you are not authorized to access, no matter how weakly they are protected. This is illegal and a violation of Internet rules of conduct.

2. Respect of policies. Obey established guidelines for computers or networks used both inside and outside the College. For example, individuals accessing off-campus computers via external networks must abide by the policies established by the owners of those computers as well as policies governing use of those networks.

3. Copyrights and other laws. Abide by all state and federal laws, in particular copyright laws and licenses. It is against both College policies and the law to copy software that has not been placed in the public domain or distributed as "freeware." "Shareware" users are expected to abide by the requirements of the shareware agreement. Respect the copyright law for images, texts and sounds in the production of electronic information.

The ease with which electronic materials can be copied, modified and sent over the Internet makes electronic materials extremely vulnerable to unauthorized access, invasion of privacy and copyright infringement. The unauthorized use or distribution of copyrighted works (including Web page graphics, sound files, trademarks and logos) is prohibited and may provide the basis for disciplinary action, civil litigation and criminal prosecution.

4. Academic honesty. Always give proper credit when using someone else’s work, and do not turn in class assignments that have been downloaded from other sources or are not your own. Guidelines in the College catalog regarding academic honesty apply to course work completed with computers just as they do to other types of course work.

5. Civility. Use appropriate standards of civility when using computing systems to communicate with other individuals, and always seek to maintain an environment conducive to learning. When sending messages to other users, identify yourself as the sender unless you are acting as a proxy with permission to use another's name. Do not use Glendale's computing resources to harass or threaten other individuals deliberately or to send fraudulent, libelous, or obscene messages. This is against the law and is explicitly prohibited.

6. Resource sharing. Be sensitive to the needs of others, avoid wasteful activities and use only your fair share of computing resources. For example, users of shared resources, such as the central computer, should use these facilities for only the most essential tasks during periods of peak demand. Broadcasting non-sanctioned messages to large numbers of individuals and sending chain letters are examples of activities that cause network congestion and interfere with the work of others, and thus are not allowed.

7. Personal software. Do not Install or download personal software on college equipment: this is strictly prohibited.

8. Security. Protect your data and the systems you use. Back up your files regularly, set a password that is not easily guessed and change it often. Do not destroy or damage any computing equipment, networks or software. If notified by the College of potential virus threats, follow instructions given in such cases. In the event that your data have been corrupted as a result of intrusion, notify your lab personnel and the Campus Police immediately.

The willful introduction of computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses or any other infection into the GCC computing environment or into other computing environments via Glendale's network is against the law and violates College standards and regulations.

9. Political and other activities. Use Glendale's computing facilities and services for College related work. Activities that would jeopardize the College's tax-exempt status such as improper political activities or activities for personal gain are prohibited. Campus organizations and individuals may use the computing resources of the College to publicize political forums or discussions, but may not use them to endorse, raise money for or otherwise promote a candidate for public office, or a political party, organization or lobby.

10. Technology changes. Stay informed about the computing environment since it is continually evolving, as new products are introduced and others become obsolete. Services change as the number and needs of users' change. Glendale publishes information on these changes in a variety of ways, and it is the users’ responsibility to follow this information and adapt to the changes.

[1] This document has been adapted from the College policy on computer use “Using Information Technology Resources at Glendale Community College” which can be found on the College web site and which has been approved by the College’s Campus Executive Committee. Both documents have been prepared by the Campuswide Computer Coordinating Committee and have been adapted from the guidelines for the use of computing resources at Brown University.